Talk of a state of emergency continues<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Controversy over the issuance of state of
\nemergency continued, as President Abdurrahman Wahid sent out
\nconflicting signals over the matter following a call from the
\nHouse of Representatives for a special session.<\/p>\n
Despite his repeated denial and objections from military
\nofficials and ministers, Abdurrahman hinted several hours after
\nthe House's decision that he would take stern action to deal with
\nthe situation.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab
\nreiterated that declaring a state of civil emergency was not a
\nfeasible alternative and that ministers were still sticking to a
\ncompromise proposal.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think that (the state of emergency) is a viable
\noption now. I have been suggesting compromise,\" Alwi, who is also
\nAbdurrahman's close confidante, told journalists after the
\nclosing ceremony of the G-15 summit.<\/p>\n
\"It (the state of emergency) is not in our recommendation, the
\nprevious proposal still remains compromise, I think we will stick
\nto that,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
Presidential spokesman Adhi Massardi also denied on Wednesday
\nevening the possibility of the issuance of a state of emergency
\nsaying that the President does not currently have the intention
\nto declare it.<\/p>\n
However, protesters against the Assembly's special session,
\nwho met Abdurrahman on Wednesday night, gave a different
\nstatement on Thursday.<\/p>\n
One of them, Martin Manurung, said that Abdurrahman would
\nconsider their demand for the issuance of the decree.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur has not yet fulfilled the demand but said that he was
\nconsidering the same ideas that we were offering him,\" Martin
\ntold The Jakarta Post, addressing the President by his nickname.<\/p>\n
Martin said that during the one-hour meeting, they read out a
\nstatement from supporters of Abdurrahman demanding the President
\ndeclare a state of emergency, dissolve the House and hold a
\ngeneral election in the next six months.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur thanked us for the proposal and said that he would
\nconsider it. But he did not say that he would do it ,\" Martin
\nadded.<\/p>\n
\"He also refrained from mentioning the state of emergency
\ndecree, but he said that he would take stern action to deal with
\nthe current situation,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The group additionally asked Abdurrahman whether he was
\ncertain that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would back him, should
\na state of emergency be issued, as most military officials had
\npublicly expressed their rejection of the idea.<\/p>\n
\"I am sure that the TNI will stay loyal to their highest
\ncommander (the President),\" Abdurrahman answered the group, as
\nquoted by Martin.<\/p>\n
The protesters who met Abdurrahman were Dita Indah Sari,
\nHelmi Faisal, KH Asep Saefuddin, KH Mujib Imron, H. Fatur
\nRasyid, Sulaiman Haikal, Thamrin Amal Tomagola and Alexander
\nIrwan.<\/p>\n
The House, during Wednesday's plenary session agreed to call
\nfor a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly to
\ndemand Abdurrahman account for his administration's performance.<\/p>\n
The special session could be an impeachment hearing for him,
\nif the Assembly then rejects his speech.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, in apparent moves to avoid the special session,
\nhad threatened to issue a state of emergency decree and had also
\noffered a constitutional delegation of power to Vice President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security
\nAffairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had rejected the idea saying
\nthat it was not necessary to issue a state of emergency at the
\nmoment.<\/p>\n
Earlier, one of Abdurrahman's close aides told the Post that
\nif Abdurrahman wanted to issue a state of emergency, he should
\ncement support from the TNI or wait until there was a situation
\nthat could justify triggering a state of emergency.<\/p>\n
In a media conference after the closing of the G-15 summit on
\nThursday, Abdurrahman declined to comment on his political future
\nfollowing the House's call for a special session, saying that
\nthere will be a forum to answer the issue.<\/p>\n
But he underlined that the House's decision did not affect him
\nat all, especially during the summit.<\/p>\n
\"We didn't want the summit questions to be dominated by
\ndomestic affairs... For that there will be another forum that we
\nwill prepare for you tomorrow,\" Abdurrahman said in English at
\nthe media briefing.<\/p>\n
When asked whether he was embarrassed that the House had shown
\ngreat resistance toward him, the President replied: \"I won't
\nanswer that ... If you ask (if there was) an influence, there was
\nno influence at all (on the summit)\".<\/p>\n
Alwi said the President was not bothered by the House's
\ndecision and that a compromise would be \"the most likely
\n(possibility) for the future\".<\/p>\n
\"We still have two months to go, two months means 60 days, a
\ncompromise could be reached in just one hour,\" he said. (dja)<\/p>",
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